Victorianism and Modernism Impact - Essay Example

VICTORIANISM AND MODERNISM IMPACT Victorian Age is one of the most influential and dramatic era in the history of English literature, which produced wonderful writers, poets, philosophers, scholars, scientists and theories who led the world towards the path of constant and continuous transition in the form of unabated progress and development in the fields of art, literature, science, technology, biology, physics and others and determined new ways of creativity, thoughtfulness and intellect. Started from 1830, the era introduced innovative style of expressing one’s views according to the changing socioeconomic and cultural world. The drama, poems, sonnets, prose and plays, written during Elizabethan, Classical, New Classical and Puritan ages usually represented the royal court, royal families, elite classes and upper strata of society, and negated the problems and difficulties faced by the overwhelming majority of the population or individuals of a society. Though Romantic literature revolted against that tradition and produced such poems, novels and essays that were related to middle classes too, yet it was done at a small scale and within very limited boundaries. A history of English Literature, according to Arthur Compton-Rickett (1970), needs to be limned on a background of its social activities, in order to be clearly seen and nicely appraised. Hence, the literary works from Chaucer to Romantic Age did not portray the social background of their era. It is the Victorian literature that undoubtedly served as the age of cultural and literary transition, where general public and ordinary people were the subject-matter of discussion and the central theme in the eyes of the writers, novelists and poets of Victorian Age. Almost all the writers of that period showed in their creativity a keen awareness of their social environment, and many of them come forward as social critics. (Singh 1997) Alfred Tennyson is regarded as the best representative of Victorian Age. Being a careful student of science and philosophy, he was deeply impressed by the new discoveries and speculations which were undermining the orthodox religion and giving rise to all sorts of doubts and difficulties. (Mullik 1997) Tennyson’s poetic works elaborated the future dynamics of literary developments and were imitated by the future poets of Modern and Post Modern Eras, where he loves to welcome the change taking place all around him. “The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfils Himself in many ways, Lest one good custom should corrupt the world.” The poets belonging to Modern Age also imitated Tennyson in respect of not only accepting social, cultural, political, technological, industrial and economic changes, but also informing the people the causes, contributions, consequences and advantages of such fast changes in their environment. In the same way, Robert Browning also represented the same literary age, and serves as a great critic of the society consisted of privileged classes on the one hand, and unveils the hypocritical attitude of the clergy and the nobility on the other. His poems including Bishop Orders His Tomb, My Last Duchess and others strictly condemn class discrimination and exploitation of the large proportion of population at the hands of the so called leisure classes. Browning’s poems left indelible imprints on the minds of future writers and they strived against the racial, regional, religious, gender, socioeconomic and class discrimination prevailing in society. In the same way, another poetess of that era, Emily Bronte, invited the pen-men to have their self-accountability by analyzing the weaknesses and flaws the individuals of that time contained. Her wonderful I Am the Only Being and Lines introduced new trends of self-evaluation in literature. Hence, literature found its way from objectivity of Classical Time to the Subjectivity of Victorian and Modern Ages. The later poets including Oscar Wilde, Thomas Hardy and others presented very gloomy picture of society and declared misfortunes as the ultimate end of man’s life, which indirectly taught the people a realistic message that life does not always have a positive or happy end at last; rather, miseries of life go hand in hand with happiness and joys. Oscar Wilde loved the Romanticist ideology where art must have been created just for art’s sake, rather playing the role of reformer, preacher or religious man. It is therefore, he strived for his firm belief that the pursuit of depicting the beauty served as the only desire of human activity. In his words: “Spirit of beauty, terry yet a while, Although the cheating merchants of the mart, With iron rods profane our lovely isle, And break on whirling wheels the limbs of art.” (The Garden of Eros) Thus, the shadow of John Keats can be found in the lovely, lively and larksome poetry produced by Oscar Wilde, whose ticklish and liberal style was become the fashion of the day for young poets of modern era. Almost the same sensuousness and sublimity can be witnessed in the works of Gerard Manley Hopkins, who appeared as the extreme fond of John Keats’s style and imagination. The poems created by this ardent lover of beauty, nature and freedom, discuss God, natural objects, sources of unabated beauty and unbound joys they offer to man. The Wreck of Deutschland is regarded as Hopkins’s most elevated poem that reveals the mystery of God’s way to man in a symbolic, mystical and an elegant way. Unlike the Romantic Age, the Victorian Era was not very fertile in respect of poetry, but novel and prose really flourished during that time. Novel is an important genre of literature which not only contains direct connection with life, but also interprets different aspects of it in a precise, but comprehensive way. It does not reveal the superficial aspects of life; instead, it concentrates on all its aspects the novelists has experienced while keenly observing his social and physical environment. Though novel is the product of 18th century, yet it won applause and development in nineteenth century, especially during the Victorian age. Victorian novel has been stated as one of the most sublime pieces of fiction in the long history of English Literature. It not only gave the novel new dimensions and wide-opened innovative avenues for it, but also it produced the art of depicting the salient features of contemporary society in an extremely lofty and elegant way. Charles Dickens is considered the greatest of the early Victorian novelists, whose works were welcomed from all corners of his contemporary British society. His novels including Pickwick Papers, Davis Copperfield, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities and others contain adventures and excitement in them, which was imitated by the contemporary and future novelists including Bronte sisters, Kingsley, Collins and others. The era maintains imperative significance for the sonorous arrival of women writers, who made great contributions in the promotion and growth of the fiction of their time. “The Victorian era is known for the galaxy of female novelists, who not only determined new dimensions in this literary genre, but also formed the novel into its present shape.” (Singh, 2001:475) Emily Bronte’s only novel Wuthering Heights is full of adventures, mystery, rebellion and turmoil that serves as the masterpieces among the literature of the globe. Mathew Arnold is one of the trend-setter prose-writer, poet, critic and essayist of Victorian period. Like S. T. Coleridge of Romantic age, Arnold was the greatest critic of his age. He vehemently laid stress on the observation of ethics and morality on the one hand, and principles and rules of classical poetry on the other. It was not the Hebrews or the Germans (as suggested by Carlyle), according to Arnold, or to the men of the Middle Ages (as suggested by Ruskin), that England could, with advantage; look for teaching, but to the Greeks or to that people which among the moderns had imbibed most of the Hellenic culture, the French. (Mullik 1997) Thus Mathew Arnold strived for the classical spirit in English literature. It is therefore all his literary works including On Translating Homer, The Study of Celtic Literature and essays in criticism vehemently demand for classical portrayal in diction, style and expression. The name of Mary Ann Evans alias George Eliot is the most prominent among these female novelists of Victorian times, whose works including Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Adam Bede, Romola, Middlemarch and others not only reflect social set up her of their time, but also present human psychology like the in-depth analysis of personalities of the characters. Like other popular literature of her time, the main theme behind George Eliots novels is always love, matrimony, conflicts and excitement to attain wealth and power out of marital-knot. Her Mill on the Floss vehemently reveals an indescribable conflict in Maggies innocent mind; one the one side there was the matter of the Tulliver familys ego and prestige, and on the other side it was the call of Philipss unabated and unconditional love for her; but she sacrificed both her love and life on her brother Tom out of her sheer devotion for the cause of the family. Her novels are not only sociological in nature, but also depict a vivid picture of the thoughts and wishes prevailing into human mind. The same is the case with the stories of her other novels. Published in 1871 and 1872 in eight parts, her masterpiece under the title Middlemarch reveals human psychology by portraying the matrimonial issues in a fictional town of Middlemarch. The sway of seeking power and pecuniary gains can be observed throughout the novel. The inclusion of an epigram in the beginning of every chapter describes her command over prose-writing on the one hand and human nature on the other. Her psychological novels contain an imperative impact on future generations and almost all the next generation of writers followed her foot-prints while producing the pieces of literature. The same is the case with Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) one of the greatest Norwegian playwrights who also belonged to Victorian Era, and his socio-psychological plays won applause and got popularity all over Europe. The works produced by Ibsen wide opened new avenues of thoughtfulness by pointing out the prevailing so called social norms and values targeting the individual freedom and liberty of the people at large. All his plays including A Dolls House, Wild Duck, Rosmersholm and others serve as a remarkable satire on the self-imposed moral values as well as the intermeddlers preaching and implementing self-articulated discipline, mores and laws causing the destruction and turmoil of personal, domestic and social life of individuals consequently. Hence autobiographical elements in plays and novels in Modern literature can be attributed to George Eliot and Henrik Ibsen. Twentieth century gave birth to new ideas, themes and thoughtfulness that brought about wonderful inventions in its wake. The technological revolution brought people living in remote areas nearer to one another and individuals witnessed acculturation all over the globe. The marvellous inventions including radio, TV, aeroplane, telephone, telex, fax, computer, internet, and mobile phone changed the very scenario of the world at large. It did not contain mere blessings in it; rather, so many curses also appeared along with these marvellous achievements. The most dominant one could be regarded as the polarization between divergent groups and communities on the one hand, and upsurge of subsequent movements in the name of gender, ethnic group, race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientations and others. The Modern Era can rightly be declared as the era of women freedom and protection of their rights. Since many laws were passed in their favour winning respectable place for them at modern societies of the world, yet prejudiced attitude towards them could not be diminished altogether. Women are still struggling hard to achieve equal status for them in the society; feminist movement is also the part of the long struggle of obtaining this status for them. The idea of division of labour on the basis of gender gave birth to feminism. It was a strong voice against the inequalities between men and women in respect of social status, division of power as well as work and gender discrimination. Historically, radical feminism started with the assumption that the sexes are adversarially poised, that men have power over women, and that society and its various social relationships can be best understood in terms of their relationship to that situation (Eisenstein 1983). Low status of women has been descried in different pieces of literature depicting the unequal opportunities of growth for them. The works of prominent feminist writers including Virginia Woolf, Harper Lee, Tony Morrison, Margaret Drabble, Dorothy Allison and others reveal how incorrectly and mistakenly women have been considered as individuals of low worth. Woolf’s wonderful “To the Light House” also describes the same. "Strife, divisions, difference of opinion, prejudices twisted into the very fibre of being, oh, that they should begin so early, Mrs Ramsay deplored. They were so critical, her children. They talked such nonsense. She went from the dining-room, holding James by the hand, since he would not go with the others." (1927:5) Woolf is of the view that roles have been fixed by male stratum of society on the basis of gender, from where there are no chances of betterment and improvement. Major part of the novel describes the emotions and thoughts of the main characters especially Mrs. Ramsay and the novelist-painter Lily Briscoe. Womens thinking, according to the novel, is seriously condemned without any reason just to display male domination at home as well as in society, and they are not allowed to exercise their abilities in an appreciable atmosphere. To the Lighthouse assures the patriarchal system of society from the beginning of the novel till the end, where mens comments reflect their views regarding women. "By writing To the Lighthouse in stream of consciousness, Woolf paved the way for many modern writers and artists, including the painter Lytton Strachey, author E. M. Forrester, and composer Benjamin Brittan (Kronenberger par 2)." Not to talk of authority over fate, humans have not obtained acquaintance with even where they are to be born and open their blissful or baleful eyes in the world and what will be their parentage, race, ethnic group, religion, region, caste, creed, nationality and origin. It is the will of the Nature, before which man has to surrender willy-nilly. The same is the case with the fate of women in Woolfs novel. Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway is one of the most sublime novels of early twentieth century elaborating and revealing wonderful diction and imagination of the author. Though it contains multiple themes in it, yet the major theme of the novel includes constant flow of ideas and imagination, which draw out quite a new picture of individuals, events, places and situations after every moment. The novel depicts the swiftness of human mind and many thousands of the thoughts confined in the conscious and sub-conscious of human brain. It indicates the novelist’s command over human nature, psychology, needs, desires and unfulfilled wishes. Mrs. Dalloway loves Peter Walsh, her childhood friend and lover, perhaps from the core of her heart, yet she thinks her decision of not accepting his proposal very accurate. Peter had, she thought, no heart, no brain, nothing but the manners and breeding of an English gentleman… Here it appears some queer feelings, about which the critics declare as the same-sex passion. The long and somewhat erotic kiss between Mrs. Dalloway and Sally Seton reflects lesbian attitude of the women of early twentieth century. In the same way, Elizabeth’s magnetism towards Doris Kilman also describes Woolf’s feminist perspective in the novel. The sentence ‘the mothers of Pimlico gave suck to their young’ also depicts perhaps the same feelings of non-heterosexual orientation prevailing that time in society. The Modern Novel also reflects upon the post war social condition of European countries. World War I cost millions of lives unbalancing the demographical statistics of the major countries of Europe. Bernard Shaw’s plays including Man and Superman, Arms and the Man and others reflect the tragedies and miseries wars bring in their wake. The WWI badly decreased the ratio of women per thousand than that of men. This uncertain and unpredictable situation not only resulted in women’s attraction for each other, but also frightened the individuals with the idea of insecurity and lack of proper protection as well. The concept of arranging parties at home depicts social gatherings in post war England on the one hand, and superficiality and awkwardness of the members of elite class on the other. It is an indirect satire at the hollowness of the meetings and sessions of the British parliament as well as the League of the Nations, which actually take no step for the betterment of individuals; rather, mere gossiping, dinners and drinks are served to the ‘brains of society.’ Welcoming of guests as a reciprocal sign of hosting and other activities related to it look futile and worthless at all. The ray of loneliness and longings for a companion of the same or opposite sex also flow along with the flow of the whole story of Modern plays and novels. D. H. Lawrence is one of the most sensational English writers of modern times. His dexterity and command over the situation and innovative ideas and superb diction gave a new trend to the twentieth century fiction. He views work of art as having direct connection with everyday life. His works, including novels, poems and short stories, depict his deep sense of analyzing the inner human psychology, which he exercises in his works revealing the wishes and dreams prevailing in unconscious and subconscious of human mind. “Lawrence was a rebellious and profoundly polemical writer with radical views, who regarded sex, the primitive subconscious, and nature as cures to what he considered the evils of modern industrialized society.” (Quoted in oldpoetry.com). “The Rocking-Horse Winner” is the example of his most refined works of art and it interprets the depth human mind perceives. The story is about a young boy named Paul, who is concerned to guard his house from the cruel clutches of unluckiness and consequent whispering coming out of it constantly. There are many psychological aspects of the tragic short story. The theme resembles with the other novels and fiction created during Modern age. There is a touch of Freudian Oedipus complex in the whole story, where the father finds no place at all as in his famous autobiographical novel “Sons and Lovers”. The same is the case with the Rocking-Horse Winner, where the whole story revolves around mother-son relationship. Lawrence had been admirer and lover of Freud, and it is perhaps therefore that signs of theme reflect in his works. In Freudian psychoanalysis, Oedipus complex has been derived from Greek playwright Sophocles’s famous “Oedipus the King”, where the King murders his father King Laius and marries his mother Queen Jocasta, though quite unknowingly. Freud views that a child takes sexual interest in the parent of his opposite gender. Gorman Beauchamp (1973) also identifies sexual element in the story. The Oedipal conflict in it is pronounced, with the boy Paul wanting to supplant his sire by supplying his mother with the fruits of the “luck” his father lacks. Paul’s identifying “luck” with “lucre”, overtly accidental, is covertly quite correct, for the socio-psychological confusion of values has resulted in the equation: love= luck= lucre.” In order to provide his mother love, Paul must contain the lucre that is derived out of luck. Another element of sex is found in the play i.e. the outer persons’ involvement in searching out satisfaction for the mother. Thus, Paul, according to the story, intends to satisfy his mother both financially and sexually to win the hard heart of his mother. The element of racism also found place in Modern literature. “To Kill a Mockingbird” (1960) is also an admired novels of the era that won great applause not only in its native land from its local readers in the USA, but also from all corners of the world at large. The author, Harper Lee, has magnificently raised a stupendous voice against apartheid as well as prejudiced behavior on the basis of socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, and gender discrimination. Lee has very skillfully conveyed the theme how an individual, especially belonging to some minority group of society, is looked down upon and mentally tortured on the basis of his ethnicity on the one hand, and his low financial position on the other. Thus, Lee accomplished a noble mission of indicating the prevailing social evil that could jeopardize the unity of the nation on the one hand, and might slow down the participation of the members of a significant American community in nation building activities on the other. There is symbolism while depicting the concept of mockingbird selected as the title of the novel. It is one of the main characteristics of the mockingbird includes its innocence and imitation of the songs of other birds in a loud voice. Sex, feminism and racism were the elements that observed constant imitation from later Victorian period to the modern literature. Margaret Drabble has also narrated the same in her novel “The Ice Age” (1977). Dorothy Allison (2006) intended to remake the world where there would be no disturbance or annoyance for any group or community of the world. The world where there is neither suppression nor containment of any of the child or woman can occur. It is in the pretext that she shares her ideas of becoming too strong to be surrendered. “If we, as writers”, she (2005:211) argues, “are to continue, we need more people of large ambition, people who refuse censorship, denial and hatred, people who still hope to change the world.” Thus, she looks extremely determined to eradicate the exploitation mania from the existing world by implementing best of her courageous capabilities and trust. “For Marxists”, Woods (2001) suggests, “the root cause of all forms of oppression consists in the division of society into classes. For many feminists, on the other hand, the oppression of women is rooted in the nature of men.” Hence, modern literature is somewhat outraged by the Victorian self-complacency on the one hand, and imitated their foot-prints on the other. The sense of individual liberty, religious freedom, self-accountability, feminism, liberalism, sex orientations and social uplift of individuals remained the themes before the magnificent Victorian novelists, poets and writers that left significant impact on Modern and even post modern pen men of contemporary times. BIBLIOGRAPHY Carroll, David (editor). George Eliot: Middlemarch. Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.  Daiches, David. A Critical History of English Literature Volume I-IV 1995 Evans, Ifor. A Short History of English Literature Fourth edition Penguin Books England 1990 Kessler, Franz L. Reincarnation and Love Relations. (Retrieved in http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=13163 2004 Lawrence, D. H. The Rocking-Horse Winner 1926. Mahajan, V. D. History of Modern Europe Since 1789 S. Chand & Company New Delhi 1998 Mullik, Dr. B. R. A Critical History of English Literature New Kitab Mahal Urdu Bazaar Lahore 1997 Neal, Larry. The Black Arts Movement 2006 (Quoted in http://www.nathanielturner.com/blackartsmovementlarryneal.htm) Porter, Jene M. Classics in Political Philosophy. Second Edition. Prentice-Hall Canada. 1997 293-402 Siegel, Dr. Kristi. Introduction to Modern Literary Theory. 2002 Singh, T. A Short History of English Literature. Vanguard Publishers, Kolkata. 1997 Thomas, Henry & Thomas, Dana Lee. Great Philosophers. (Bhavan’s Book University Bombay 1971) 232-240 The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21). Volume XI. The Period of the French Revolution. (Retrieved in http://www.bartleby.com/221/0504.html Read More